What to stream: 'Adolescence,' 'The Americas' and 'Mufasa'

Spring has sprung, but the change of seasons has also brought about a chilling void as many of winter's hottest TV shows draw to an end.

"Severance" Season 2 and "The Bachelor" Season 29 both ended within the past two weeks. Interestingly, the two vastly different shows wrapped up rather similarly, with a guy choosing between two girls and making a decision that shocked many fans. The latest seasons of "The White Lotus" and "Abbott Elementary" are also speeding to an end, but there are several new shows and movies to check out.

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Adolescence

This British crime series on Netflix shines a light on toxic masculinity as it exists in the dark depths of the internet, illuminating the negative impact it's having on today's youth. "Adolescence" follows Jamie (Owen Cooper), a 13-year-old boy who is arrested on suspicion of murdering a girl in his class. Through the investigation, and meetings with a forensic psychologist, it's revealed that Jamie has been deeply affected by social media bullying and "incel" culture. 

Everyone's been talking about "Adolescence." The twisty drama has racked up 66.3 million views in its first two weeks streaming, which is the most ever for a limited series on Netflix. Its impacts may be felt outside the world of streaming, too. The show's writer, Jack Thorne, said he hopes the show will inspire British lawmakers to ban young people from accessing social media until they're 16. 

American Idol

Some may say "American Idol" is outdated or tired — with the series now in its 23rd season and eighth since being rebooted in 2018 — but there are still reasons to tune in year after year. This season of the singing competition, which airs Sundays on ABC and streams Mondays on Hulu, is still in the auditions phase. This means there have been some really amazing talent, heartbreaking contestant backstories and a few funny moments from some less-than-talented singers. 

This season, which premiered earlier this month, is a little different than the seven previous, since former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood has taken her place at the judges' table alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. The country singer has swapped in for pop star Katy Perry, who left after last season. It's too soon to tell whether Underwood can mesh with the other judges and match up to Perry's bravado and spunk, though her "Idol" history may help her in mentoring the competitors. In case you need another reason to watch, there's some local talent to root for this season, including South Jersey musician Pat Johnson. 

The Americas

For any animal lover who's a sucker for a well-made wildlife documentary, "The Americas" delivers. The 10-part documentary series, which began airing last month, explores the wonders of North and South America with narration by Tom Hanks. Each episode highlights a different area — like the Atlantic Coast, Mexico, Caribbean, Patagonia and "Wild West" — and shows plants and animals as they mate, hunt, travel and find miraculous ways to survive each day. 

While David Attenborough is the king of narrating wildlife documentaries, Hanks brought his own charm and humor to the natural beauty unfolding on screen. Plus, there's an incredible soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer that further heightens the drama of each moment. If there's one complaint, it would be that there isn't more capybara footage. "The Americas" airs Sundays on NBC and streams Mondays on Peacock. 

Mufasa: The Lion King

Love it or hate it, Disney is in the midst of churning out live-action remake after live-action remake of its vast body of animated works. While some have been skip-worthy, "Mufasa: The Lion King" is not one of them. The follow-up to the 2019 "The Lion King" is a prequel which dives into the backstory of the stately Mufasa, showing how he rose from an orphaned cub to king of the Pride Lands. Along the way, he meets a fellow cub, Taka, who becomes a best pal and brother to him. The movie also brings back beloved characters like Timon, Pumbaa and Rafiki, and features Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, perhaps foreshadowing future "Lion King" installations. Plus, it explains the origin of the devious Scar (Taka), and how his feud with Mufasa came to be.

While CGI animals singing can be a little off-putting, music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, of "Hamilton" fame, makes up for it. "I Always Wanted a Brother" already went viral on TikTok. After making over $700 million at the global box office, "Mufasa" began streaming Wednesday on Disney+.